O: as with other old ales, has a lot of barleywine-like characteristics - trying to keep my comparisons limited to Old Stock Ale and Founders Curmudgeon - this one runs a little sweeter and less complex than the Old Stock, making it more or less on par with the Curmudgeon. A good beer by any account, and since I've never seen it around before, it's probably one of those you should pick up when you see it, so you can try it for yourself.

More User Reviews:

Bottled on 2-16-05,best before 2011.Poured a deep chesnut brown with well formed light brown one finger head that leaves a trace amount of lace as it settled quickly.Oh the aromas so rich and decadent,nutty and portish with anise notes and caramel and alcohol dipped dark fruit.Chewey mouthfeel very pleasurable,where to begin flavor wise,those tawny port notes and quite raisiny upfront slowly merging into a nutty,woody finish I also noticed a touch of herbal hop toward the end as well wich was suprising and nice.Hmm this is a gem here would age incredibly just awesome.

Appearance  There was a surprising head to this high-octane ale. The body was a dirty, filthy, pond scum brown with some light carbonation.

Smell  This was the ales strong point, IMHO. I just loved that raunchy, booze-soaked, woody malt smell that never did give up. The sweetness is very subdued, keeping the focus on the malts. Nicely done in a conservative sort of way.

Taste  This ale melts in your mouth. It reminds me a bit of Old Woody with all the wood character in the flavor profile. Its not oaky but more like a malty wood, if that makes any sense. Either way, its killer. It reminds me a bit of their FUV BOP special : )

There are a few more sweets to be had at the taste, but not much more. The sugars that are there are more like raw cane than anything else. You might find some maple in here if you look hard enough. All in all this is an amazing flavor profile that begs for further examination as the ale warms.

Mouthfeel  This is on the big side of medium-bodied and almost flat with some old school bitterness on the back of the tongue and an unapologetic alcohol sting throughout.

Drinkability  The raunchy wood and stinging booze may be too much for some, but fans of the Old Ale style will unquestionably enjoy sampling this Kuhnhenn effort.

Comments  I will be forever indebted to garthwaite for sending this Old Ale out to Seattle. Cheers and beers!

In many ways 4th dimension is much more like a cordial or after dinner liquor than a beer. Its viscosity appears as such and its booziness is so forthright, rich, and fiery in powerful ways. The appearance is quite pleasing  a deep crimson tinged ruby body. Truly a unique and brilliant color. Lacing is minimal to say the least but thats highly forgivable in such a large beer. Fruity alcohol aromas dominate the nose. Raspberry, mulberry, and cherry. Then toffee and biscuits come into play and finally the whole endeavor is finished with tobacco and rounded out with vanilla. The flavor doesnt diverge much from the nose. Dark fruits rule here as well, mostly berries but also some plum and raison. Toffee is also a large component. Herbal, boozy finish. Not drinkable in large quantities. A real after dinner sort of sipper and quite the well rounded, hyper warming, fun big beer. I would really like a growler or two of this around Christmas to sip on while sitting around the fire.

Had this quite a few times at Kuhnhenn, but I finally decided to crack some of my 2011 bottles, and this review will be based off of that. Fourth Dementia pours soft, rich, and thick, almost like warm maple syrup out of the bottle. It's a very deep and dark mahogany, showing ruby highlights in front of the light. A small, khaki crown forms slowly upon pouring, showing decent retention for this high gravity brew. A quick swirl of the glass will easily conjure up larger froth if desired.

I could smell 4D long before I ever brought the glass to my face - pretty much as soon as I cracked the bottle open. It's a highly sweet malt bomb that is very reminiscent of a barleywine up front. Humongous caramel aromas, warm toffee, and a melted coating of brown sugar smeared from wall to wall. Rich dark fruits reside beneath this blanket of sugary goodness; plums, black cherries, dates - all candied and tangled in vibrant sweetness. I pick up very faint woody aromas, though I don't believe the original 4D ever touched a barrel. Wonder what this is from? Alcohol is present with a warming and smooth notice, similar to that of brandy or sherry. Warmer temperatures only reveal more nuances in this already complex labyrinth of aromas; more sticky toffee, light tobacco, graham crackers... This aroma is blowing my mind.

Smelling this beer does nothing but get me even more excited to finally bring it to my lips. Truth is, I usually sit there and wave it in front of my nose for minutes before I finally take a sip. Initially, 4D comes out swinging with a fruit combination, sweet and pure like a puree; cherries, raspberries, and ripe plums are leading the pack by far. Now imagine those fruits drizzled in rich caramel, and rolled in a vat of brown sugar, then dipped delicately in a brandy bath for a few hours. Sticky bouts of toffee are strong from start to finish along with lighter hints being given to honey and maybe even maple syrup. 4D is sending my entire sensory system into a frenzy and I'm loving every goddamn minute of it.

Again, warmer temperatures yield an even larger bouquet of flavors, so I recommend taking it slow; it probably took me a little over an hour to finish the 12 oz bottle and that's the best way to do it. The flavors intensify and grow to a ridiculous degree of power and refinement, as if they weren't incredible enough already. The aftertaste is full of that light oak flavor that I was getting in the aroma - again, kind of mind-boggling considering this wasn't aged in a barrel or anything. Long lasting, toasted brown sugar couples with graham crackers and leftover cherry and raspberry juices to give one last jolt of sweetness before the sip of 4D is gone forever. Despite the intensely high levels of sweetness, the beer elegantly avoids becoming cloying through delicate balance with the alcohol heat and a faint (almost unnoticeable) addition of earthy hop bitterness. Slightly sticky mouth feel, heavy and thick on the palate, low-medium carbonation.

Holy shitballs. This stuff is absolutely incredible. I know I'm probably one of the only people that thinks this, but I enjoy the regular 4D much more than the barrel-aged version. I don't believe that barrel-aging always makes things better, and here is a perfect example of that. Why? Bourbon barrel aging imparts a particular and dignified set of flavors; in my opinion, these flavors kind of mask what I love so much about 4D. Call it a barleywine or an old ale or whatever the hell you want - this beer is a perfect example of the capabilities of not only its style, but beer in general. Enjoy this beer and take a nap, then thank me later.

Dark reddish brown with a dense tanned head with quite good retention.

The smell is rich, but not overly heavy. Caramel, vinous cherries and grapes, toffee and a fresh floral note. Nice and round aroma.

The taste is really pleasant. A complex and fill malty character with lots of vinous fruits (cherries, plums, dried fruits), toffee and caramel. Some woody notes and a gentle cellar character. Hints of powdered chocolate. An interesting mild tart note develops in the middle and complements the massive sweetness really well. The finish is warming with a spot on note of sweet alcohol, malts and grape skin.

Full body, really chewy but with quite e refreshing level of carbonation.

All in all, integrated and complex, and surprisingly easy to drink despite the heavy character. Good stuff.

12oz bottle pours into my glass a hazy ruddy brown hue with notes of red. A small cream colored head shows up and then disappears just as quickly. Aromas of big, dense caramel malts. Sweet dark candied fruits mix in alongside a slightly roasted character. Piney, herbal hops are still apparent in the background. There's a bit of toffee and some spiciness in there as well. Smells rich and inviting.

First sip brings a rush of rich caramel malt along with plenty of dark candied fruits. Cherry, plum and grape notes move in along with an overall sweetness. Some toffee, raisin and a light cocoa as it moves down. This flows into a bit of herbal, slightly piney hop flavor that brings a touch of bitterness with it. Finishes with a lingering sweet caramel malt flavor. Alcohol is warming but well hidden. This is a great big, malty brew.

Mouthfeel is viscous and a bit slick from the sweetness. Not as heavy as I was expecting. Mellow carbonation that works well with the overall brew. This one is a sipper for sure. One bottle does the job in a sitting and this would make a good apertif. This is another tasty Kuhnhenn brew that is worth seeking out. This bottle was brewed on 8-1-04 and still holding up quite well.

Well...its my 24th b-day today...and this beer had its 2nd b-day yesterday...I thought it was fitting that I had this today...

Dark garnet color, obvious floaties drift around. Really no head on the pour, only an offwhite ring around the glass. The beer sparkles in the glass. Looks nice...

Dark fruit aromas raisin, fig and plum, hints of cherries. Alcohol is obvious. Toasted malt aromas come in later on and fill out the body of this beer. Great aroma...

This beer is still a bit hot, super alcoholic tasting but doesn't burn too much to turn me off to it. Lots to the taste. Toasted malts again come forth with some caramel sweetness. Dark fruits come out again, fig and plums. Finish is a bit of tobacco. Nicely done overall. This could use another year, although the alcohol might not ever dissapate.

Medium to full bodied mouthfeel. I'd like it to be a bit creamier. Overall a really tasty beer. Complex aroma and taste. A bit hot still, but tolerable. Good overall.

Pours a deep brown w ruby red highlight. No head or lacing to speak of. Smells of raisins and other dark dried fruits, lots of caramel and unfortunately very apparent alcohol. The initial taste is hot alcohol, followed by raisins and figs and a bit of earthiness. Also quite a bit of sweet caramel malts and a hint of smoke. Finishes a bit bitter. Pretty full mouthfeel, but not overwhelmingly heavy. Leaves some lingering bitterness. Overall, this is a bit too fresh perhaps, as the alcohol is quite apparent. However, the alcohol presence doesn't ruin this by any means. I have a few bottles that I look forward to trying after a year or two. This is definitely a sipper, but a nice old ale. Doesn't hold up to the barrel-aged version though.

Pours brown with some nice reddish hues. There's a ring of dirty white foam around the edge. Bold nose with cherry pits, Werthers candies, Tootsie Rolls, and a bit of chewing tobacco. The flavor is rich with chocolate and chew. If they actually made chewing tobacco that tastes like this, I made pick it up again. Full body with just a bit of carbonation and a sweet finish. Very yummy stuff.

Big thanks to Gaisgeil for this one of many fine brews.
Pours a dark brown w/ very little light passing thru...less than a 1/4 finger of tan head forms and very little thin lace.
Aroma is rum raisins...add in some vanilla and some malt sweetness. Nothing over the top, but very inviting.
Taste is a burst of raisins...reminding me of an English style barleywine at first, but a hint of smoked flavor makes its way through w/ warming. Alcohol is detected, but well masked for the most part.
Maybe a touch too sweet, but that only affects the drinkablilty, and not the overall enjoyment of the pint.
Mouthfeel is quite thick and is just a touch bitter in its finish.
I have had only a handful from this style and I can see why so many seek out this particular brew...I have one other (thanks to Eyedrinkale) and will age it for a couple years. At that time, this one will be up there w/ the likes of Thomas Hardy.

Garnet color with a beige head that quickly recedes to a ring around the glass and leaves spotty lacing. Aroma is quite sweet with caramel, toffee, and dark fruit, but there still is a noticeable amount of hops (English variety?). Taste is vinous, has some brown sugar, dark fruits, a hint of spice it seems, and some grassy hops also coming through. Light carbonation and medium to full bodied. An enjoyable beer. Bottle courtesy of hoppymeal.

The beer pours an amber-red color with a tan head. The aroma is brown sugar with some alcohol, molasses, maple and oak. The flavor is just as complex with cherries, brown sugar, alcohol, toffee and caramel. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very complex beer that I really enjoyed.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of Frozensoul327. Brewed on 08-01-04. Best before 2010.

Color is a chunky-murky deep brown with amber notes. Despite the aggressive pour, there's little, if any, head to speak of. Just a tiny ring of tan froth 'round the edges. Aromas step up with a wonderfully-balanced blend of dark fruit, candied sugar, some extract of vanilla, and some oaken notes. Flavor is so very mellow. Delicate pattern of the dark druits again, drizzled with melted caramel sugar. Some vinous notes seep in towards the middle and are cleansed away by the bitterness mingled with brown sugar sweetness mixed with Heath bar chunks. Where is the alcohol in this bad boy? Only glimpses can be detected. Extremely smooth on the palate. The low levels of carbonation really "thicken" this up. One to definitely savor on this cold winter's night.